The present invention relates to shaping machines and in particular grinding machines. It is more particularly applicable to machines for grinding the trunnions of tripod elements for homokinetic joints.
It is known that certain component parts must have ground surfaces the profile of which differs from the circular shape. This is in particular the case of the trunnions of tripod elements whose profile remains very close to the circular shape (see French patent No. 1 380 557). The precisely controlled alteration from the circularity of the trunnions enables the torque transmitting capacity of the joint to be doubled by an equal circular distribution of the forces exerted on the needles employed in these joints.
In order to obtain such profiles with precision, it has been proposed (see French patent No. 1 401 983) to connect the workpiece carrying plate to a driving rotary spindle by elastically yieldable connecting means. However, the elastically yieldable means provided in this patent, which are formed by a beam or strut which is coaxial to the plate, do not in themselves provide a perfectly radial displacement of the plate.